Okay that helps...My son doesn't have any of the things you listed. He isn't really babbling yet...but he just turned 7 months. He will say ma ma...and mummmm....but only if he is fussing...Oh and he nows likes to make the sound from the grudge....if you watched the movie.. One of the red flags sheet I read (I think it was the CDC autism one, maybe not) said that at 7 months, they should be responding to their name 50% of the time. My baby is also 7 months and my middle son has Autism, so I am on the ball with this one.
Well, like I said, he will respond to other people when they say his name, but he will not look at me. He could be playing in his exersaucer and I could say his name several times and he will not look at me. He will look at me if I sound silly or make funny sounds, but not if I'm normally talking. BUT, if his grandma walks in and starts to talk, he will respond and be all excited. I think his pediatrician thinks I'm nuts, because everytime she said his name, he turned to her voice. She did it three times in a row. I don't know, I know 7 months is a little young. It is just like he'd rather play with his toys. He doesn't get fixated or anything, it's just like he is so curious of things around him and I"m old news to him.
I wouldnt be too worried! But you never know all our kids are different! but my son and up untill just recently (therapys been helping!) would maybe look at us with us calling his name prob bout 1 out of 10 times the younger he was the worse he was, but with about 5 weeks of therapy he is looking at us about 50% now!If you think he warrants watching, do. The idea above to write down his "milestones" is great...you can record the stuff and know you are doing well by him, yet the nay sayers out there can just think you are adding to his baby book.
When Cole was about 7 months old, he was a bit less than 4 months old in adjusted age - he was 14 weeks early. So, my age reporting and timings are a little squirrelly to compare to - sorry to be confusing. Because he WAS so early, he was automatically categorized as high risk for developmental delays and we enrolled him in various therapies provided by the school district.
When we took him in for the sign up appointment he was 4 months in adjusted age, amd they asked tons of developmental questions. I told the woman that in all the baby books, they said babies are supposed to just adore looking at your face and into your eyes.
When I'd hold Cole to give him his bottle (it was pumped breast milk) he would look up at his windows instead of at me. Not constantly, but often. The windows were double sized and had three giant navy blue triangles as a valance...a big nautical thing if you can imagine it. I thought the big geometric shapes were easy for him to spot aginst the light yellow walls & white blinds...like, contrast or something. Or, since he was in the NICU for 4 months, maybe he was OVER staring at faces...like nurses who hurt him constantly with IV sticks, heel sticks, tubes in his nose, etc. Kinda made sense to me.
However, something bugged me a little. I told the woman about it and asked if he could be autistic. My husband, very supportive, kindly poo-poohed the idea. Cole was (and is) very affectionate, even at that age.
Months later, when Cole was just giggly and outgoing as could be, I remember DH going, "and see, silly? Remember you wondered if he could be autistic? Geez!". Well, I was right. It took us 4 years to know that.
I want to reassure you, truly, but you know your child and know whether you have a tendency toward unwarranted worry or not. Be honest with yourself and if your gut tells you to, just watch him. But engage him, and talk to him constantly as if he were going to answer you back. Carry him in your left arm and with your right, make a pot of coffee or mix his formula...all the while telling him how to do so. Pretend he is a 7 year old you are teachign something to.
Do give him his personal space and freedom, but as long as he is happy with it, spend time playing peek a boo, whatever. Its early to do so, but consider buying the Garcia book on teaching babies sign language. It is proven to faciliate speech later on. I did it to ward off the terrible twos, not because I thought something was up with the babies.
Keep us posted.
BWIND, do you have another child on the spectrum?I wouldn't be too worried. I would just keep an eye on him, if I were you.
At three, my son only responds to his name maybe 2/3 times out of ten, and less than that if it's not me or DH.
Do you have any reason to suspect autism so young- with no other children makes me kind of wonder if you have a close friend with it, one of their kids, etc. I know all of my friends and my sister get paranoid when their child reacts like Lucas- but otherwise I think they wouold have never worried about it.
I saw traits in Lucas at 10- 12 months old, but even though I had worked in grad school with autistic kis, I never thought mine was until I saw some definite signs.
Please don't worry too much- my son is almost 3 now and I am glad I did not lose any of that special time that you only get that first year- it is so important and goes WAY too fast! Try to focus on what he can do-and remember that ALL children develop at their own pace, special needs or not. No two children are exactly alike and they are all given guidlelines in which they will develop certain milestones- not set in stone.
Come here for questions and advice if he is autistic, and until then enjoy every minute and try not to sweat it.
If that is the only sign you are seeing right now I wouldn't worry too much.Hi I have a son who is 7 months and one week old. He is a doll. I do have several questions...my husband thinks I'm just paranoid. Our son is reaching all of his milestones, he's beginning to crawl, can sit on his own, and is trying really hardto pull up. He smiles, laughs, and giggles constantly. What worries me is that it's almost like he has selective hearing. If he is playing, and you go up to him and talk to him, he may or may not look at you. If you call his name from across the room, again he may or may not look at you. BUT, if grandma comes in and talks to him...he is so attentive with her and very engaged. He does make eye contactwith us, but not all of the time. I talked to his ped. at his 6 mos. appt about possible hearing loss...And wouldn't you know, everytime she called his name...He looked. She did it 3 times, and he looked everytime. She said it could be that he is just used to my husband and my voice.. I have a friend who has a little girl that is three days older than our son...She looks at every person who is talking. Our son doesn't do that. He is more engaged in objects. He loves looking around the room. Any advice would help.
I dont think you should be worried because he does respond when he is called most of times. Other he just choose to ignore you. My son when he was 7 months, he would barely respond. But he didnt have no hearing problems cause he could hear someone opening the door a mile away. My son is now 4 and sometimes still ignores me when i call him , but now he actually responds ... so take it easy. Alert your child's doctor or nurse if your child displays any of the following signs of possible developmental delay for this age range.